Last updated: October 2024
The municipality of Ciudad Juarez, in collaboration with UN-Habitat, has drafted a redevelopment strategy for an area known as "Paso de Oñate." This intervention falls within the broader framework of "Vision Ciudad Juarez 2040." The plan involves constructing a forested green belt along the southern edge of the Rio Grande (/Bravo) in the northwest part of Juarez, bordering the USA. Currently in the planning stage, the project aims to restore the ecological function of various degraded areas along the Rio Grande, transforming them into a continuous, green, walkable, and recreational space. The strategy includes allowing vegetation to recover, introducing native plant species, and increasing tree cover to rehabilitate unmaintained parks, derelict areas, and degraded riverbanks. These areas will be equipped with new features and integrated with existing parks, schools, and playgrounds. The envisioned green corridor will enhance walking conditions, improve the perception of safety, offer recreational opportunities for all age groups, and deliver valuable ecosystem services such as temperature regulation, improved air quality, and water retention. In addition to its ecological goals, the project has a historical and geographical dimension. It aims to incorporate cultural heritage elements, such as the monument of the New Citizen, Paso de Oñate, Turtles Park, and the beginning of the Acequia Madre. It will also connect with other green space initiatives, including the Mega Park "El Chamizal" and the "Corredor Cultural," which runs through the city center. This intervention is being prioritized due to the area's ongoing social and ecological decline. Paso de Oñate is a critical border crossing point, which negatively affects mobility and air quality. The area also suffers from a high concentration of vacant housing, which contributes to the residents' perception of insecurity. (Ref. 1, 2, 3, 4)
Municipal vehicle impoundment lot which will be converted in green space
Screenshot from Google Street View 2024
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Riverbank/Lakeside greens
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Green corridors and green belts
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Soil quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Preservation of natural heritage
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Environmental and climate justice
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Tourism support
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Urban flooding (stormwater)
- Degradation of carbon sinks
- Environmental Degradation
- Deforestation and forest degradation
- Air pollution
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
- Insecurity in public spaces
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of green corridors (including connectivity between urban and rural ecosystems), Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Restoration of riparian vegetation, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Soil remediation and revegetation, Remediation activities of sites with very poor environmental quality, Ecological restoration of existing green spaces, Protection of natural ecosystems, Habitat restoration, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Transformation of vacant land into green spaces
Project objectives
To reforest public green spaces with native plant species, increase tree cover, and remodel public areas to strengthen their ability to provide valuable ecosystem services, such as water retention, air quality improvement, temperature regulation and carbon sequestration (Ref 1; 3).
To restore and improve riverbanks by recuperating and revitalizing natural areas along water bodies (re vegetation and soil improvements), contributing to the ecological regeneration of the region and combating flooding risks (Ref 1).
To give new value to historical and cultural sites by focusing on the conservation, restoration, and preservation of the cultural and natural heritage, with the aim of improving the city's image and attracting tourism (Ref 1; 3).
To improve the culture of mobility by enhancing pedestrian infrastructure, specifically by providing sidewalks with adequate tree cover for shade, in order to address the challenges of walking in Ciudad Juárez's extreme climate (Ref 3).
To enhance access to recreational spaces and improve the perception of safety, particularly in socially excluded neighborhoods on the western side of the city center (Ref 1).
Implementation activities
From September 2022 to May 2023, studies, webinars, and participatory actions shaped strategies for improving public spaces in Ciudad Juárez under the Juarez 2040 vision. Citizens and strategic actors helped prioritize 10 key projects, with this one ranking second.
As part of the initiative, seven specific actions were drafted to guide the development of the area:
Reforestation and environmental maintenance activities along the Rio Grande riverbanks, covering an area of 42,049 square meters.
Redesigning and reforesting Turtle Park into a functional green space, currently in progress, covering 69,945 square meters.
Repurposing the municipal vehicle impoundment lot to contribute to the creation of green space, covering 78,181 square meters.
Recuperating the start of the Acequia Madre (a historic irrigation ditch) and regenerating vegetation and tree cover along its banks, covering 45,489 square meters.
Improving sidewalks along Norzagaray Street, covering an area of 6,695 square meters.
Constructing recreational areas for children and youth, covering 3,391 square meters.
Developing a mixed-use area for commerce and services, covering 6,688 square meters. (Ref. 1, 3, 6)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
- Restore rivers and other fresh water bodies to reduce flood or drought risk
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Low-income neighborhoods, Urban heat islands, Communities near industrial areas, Informal settlements or slums, Communities located in floodplains
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore native species
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Multilateral organisation
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The initiative is the result of a collaboration between the municipality of Juarez and UN-Habitat who signed the collaboration agreement: 'Localising and Mainstreaming the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda' (Ref 5). In this partnership, the municipality has exisiting strategies and projects but is supported by UN-Habitat who provides capacity and expertise to reach an integrated vision for urban sustainable development with research, network, policy analysis, financing, public consultation. Citizens were consulted through public workshops, on the designing stage of the project. (Ref 1; 4). The project includes a collaboration agreement with CONAGUA ( Mexican Water Commission) to develop 45 489 m2 of the riverbanks. The project also reserves 16 688 m2 of space for a Public Private Partnership for the development of a mixed used area. Funding comes from several international development banks (Ref. 1).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Part if Juarez 2040 strategy (Ref. 1))
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Support from transitional governance actors, Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS, Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- National or regional development bank
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Loan
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Expected lowered local temperature
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
- Prevent the frequency and/or intensity of heatwaves
- Expected prevent the frequency and/or intensity of heatwaves
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Expected improved air quality
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved stormwater management
- Expected improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Expected increased green space area
- Restoration of derelict areas
- Expected restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Attraction of business and investment
- Expected attraction of business and investment
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Expected improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Reduced risk of heatstroke and/or dehydration
- Expected reduced risk of heatstroke and/or dehydration
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
- Expected protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
UNHabitat (2023). CARTERA DE PROYECTOS ESTRATÉGICOS. Ciudad Juarez 2040 UNHabitat, Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Hernandez, F. (2023). Publican estrategia de desarrollo urbano sostenible de Cd. Juárez. Juarez: centrourbano, Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Hernandez, F. (n.d.). Identifican problemáticas urbanas de Ciudad Juárez. Juarez: centrourbano, [Source link];
4.
UNHabitat (2023). Vision Ciudad Juarez 2040. Ciudad Juarez 2040 UNHabitat, Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Hernandez, F. (2022). ONU-Habitat y Ciudad Juárez van por implementación de ODS. centrourbano, Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Redaction of El Diario (2023). Forestan el parque de Las Tortugas. El Diario, Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
Area which will be revegetated
Screenshot from Google Street View 2024
Area which will be revegetated
Screenshot from Google Street View 2024
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.